The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has threatened to embark on a nationwide indefinite strike from 10 August if the federal government fails to address outstanding salary arrears, welfare concerns and other longstanding issues affecting its members.

The association announced the decision in a communiqué issued after its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Gombe State, where it reviewed the implementation of previous agreements reached with the government.

NARD said the proposed Total and Comprehensive Industrial Strike (TICS) would commence at 8 a.m. on 10 August unless its demands are met before the deadline.

“The NEC reaffirmed its commitment to constructive engagement and dialogue but reiterated that the welfare of resident doctors and the survival of Nigeria’s healthcare system remain non-negotiable,” the communiqué stated.

Unpaid arrears

Among its demands, the association called for the immediate payment of outstanding arrears arising from the 25 and 35 per cent Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) review, 19 months of unpaid professional allowance arrears, as well as outstanding salary and promotion arrears owed to doctors in several federal health institutions.

It also urged the government to ensure that all eligible resident doctors omitted from the 2026 Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF) disbursement are paid without further delay.

While acknowledging the federal government’s recent disbursement of the residency training fund to eligible beneficiaries, NARD said many financial obligations to resident doctors remain unresolved.

LUTH crisis

The association also raised concerns over what it described as the continued intimidation of resident doctors at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH).

It accused the hospital management of refusing to provide call duty meals despite repeated engagements and called on the federal government to intervene.

NARD warned that failure to resolve the issues at LUTH before 10 August would leave it with no option but to proceed with industrial action.

Assaults on doctors, broader healthcare challenges

NARD condemned what it described as persistent assaults, harassment and intimidation of doctors across the country, saying such incidents threaten an already fragile healthcare system.

It called for a national protocol to prevent violence against healthcare workers and urged lawmakers to criminalise assaults on health personnel.

The association expressed concern over deteriorating infrastructure in public hospitals, citing inadequate medical equipment, unreliable electricity supply and poor maintenance of health facilities.

It also highlighted chronic underfunding of the health sector, shortages of healthcare workers and high out-of-pocket healthcare costs, saying these continue to limit access to quality healthcare for millions of Nigerians.

NARD urged federal and state governments to increase investment in healthcare, strengthen primary healthcare services, improve health financing and recruit more health workers to advance universal health coverage.

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The association further called for the speedy conclusion and implementation of the Medical and Health Workers’ Collective Bargaining Agreement and the recommendations of the ministerial committee reviewing excessive workloads, prolonged call duty hours, casualisation of doctors and the abuse of locum appointments.

It also demanded urgent action to address salary delays, unpaid arrears and internship placement challenges affecting house officers.

Nigeria has experienced several industrial actions by resident doctors in recent years, with disputes largely centred on unpaid salaries and allowances, poor working conditions, residency training funding and the implementation of agreements reached with the government.

Health experts have repeatedly warned that prolonged strikes disrupt access to healthcare, delay surgeries and worsen pressure on an already overstretched health system, particularly for patients who rely on public hospitals.

The federal government says it will provide 25,000 free cataract surgeries nationwide by the end of 2027 as part of efforts to reduce avoidable blindness and improve access to quality eye care.

The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Iziaq Salako, announced this on Thursday at the 49th Annual Scientific Conference of the Nigerian Optometric Association (NOA) and the African Council of Optometry (AFCO) meeting in Abuja.

Mr Salako said the surgeries would be carried out under the Renewed Hope Health Connect initiative, which aims to bring healthcare services closer to underserved communities across the country.

He said funding for the programme had already been provided in the 2025 and 2026 federal budgets, with implementation expected to begin in late October or early November this year.

“The process is already ongoing and, all things being equal, we hope to start the implementation by late October or early November this year,” he said.

Expanding primary eye care services

The minister said eye health had remained neglected for years, despite preventable visual impairment continuing to deprive millions of Nigerians of productivity, independence, economic opportunities and personal dignity.

He said President Bola Tinubu had placed deliberate emphasis on expanding primary eye care services and tackling preventable blindness through sustained investments, reforms and strengthened healthcare delivery systems.

According to him, the National Eye Health Strategic Development Plan 2024–2028 integrates eye care services across primary, secondary, and tertiary healthcare levels to improve early detection nationwide.

Mr Salako said the federal government had also inaugurated the Nigeria Glaucoma Guidelines and Toolkit to standardise diagnosis, treatment and referral protocols for glaucoma management across healthcare facilities nationwide.

He said ophthalmologists from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory had already been trained on the guidelines to facilitate effective implementation and improve patient outcomes nationwide.

He added that under the Effective Spectacle Coverage Initiative Nigeria-JigiBola 2.0, more than 2,220 primary healthcare workers across 16 states had been trained to conduct vision screening.

He said the JigiBola 2.0 initiative had screened almost two million Nigerians and provided more than 1.3 million people with free reading glasses across participating states nationwide.

According to him, approximately 66 per cent of beneficiaries received their first-ever pair of spectacles through the intervention, highlighting the significant unmet need for eye care services.

“The Jigi-Bola 2.0 is now being expanded under the Renewed Hope Health Connect to deliver at least five million free pairs of spectacles and 25,000 free cataract surgeries by the end of 2027,” he said.

Optometrists

Mr Salako described optometrists as on the front line of community eye health, emphasising that their expertise remained critical to achieving universal eye health coverage and reducing preventable blindness nationwide.

Earlier, President of the Nigerian Optometric Association, Chimeziri Anderson, said the conference was conceived to harmonise and standardise optometry education, training and practice across African countries.

Mr Anderson said the gathering would strengthen collaboration among African nations, promote the dissemination of research, and bridge differences in professional training, competencies, and regulatory frameworks across the continent.

He added that the association had partnered with organisations to facilitate free cataract surgeries, recording about 60 successful procedures during a recent outreach programme for vulnerable patients.

Also speaking, President of AFCO, Remi Ninkpe, called for a harmonised framework to guide optometry education, training and professional practice across Africa.

Mr Ninkpe said Africa had made remarkable progress in expanding optometry training, clinical services and professional recognition through collective efforts by governments, institutions and professional associations.

He, however, said that differences in curriculum, competencies and scope of practice continued to limit workforce mobility, professional integration and regional advancement across the continent.

“A harmonised, structured framework will deliver clarity of practice, workforce mobility, shared tools and one united voice for policy and advocacy,” he said.

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In his welcome address, the Chairman of the NOA Federal Capital Territory Chapter, Njezi Kennedy, described the conference as a landmark gathering to advance eye care across Africa.

Mr Kennedy commended the association’s leadership for strengthening professional advocacy, expanding global engagement, and successfully bringing the continental conference to Nigeria to foster wider collaboration and knowledge exchange.

He urged participants to maximise the scientific sessions, deepen professional collaboration and renew their commitment to eliminating avoidable blindness while improving eye health outcomes across Africa.

The conference, themed “Optometrists in a Changing Africa: From Diversity to Unity,” brought together eye care professionals, researchers and policymakers to discuss strategies for improving eye health services across the continent.

(NAN)